BERKELEY, CA - NOVEMBER 02: A general view of the California Golden Bears playing against the Washington Huskies at California Memorial Stadium on November 2, 2012 in Berkeley, California. California Memorial Stadium went through a 21-month $321 million renovation and reopened for the 2012 football season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

BERKELEY, CA - NOVEMBER 02: A general view of the California...

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Bishop Sankey, who scored the final touchdown for Washington, runs against Cal in the Huskies' 21-13 victory.

Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

Bishop Sankey, who scored the final touchdown for Washington, runs...

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Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins catches a 29-yard touchdown pass from Keith Price to put Washington ahead to stay, 14-13. He also caught a 43-yarder on the drive.

It just gets worse for Cal's downtrodden football team, already assured of a losing record for the second time in three years and saddled with an injury list that grows longer after each game.

Friday night's 21-13 loss to Washington at Memorial Stadium was exasperating enough for a Cal team that turned the ball over four times in falling to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Pac-12.

Now comes the No. 2 team in the country, Oregon, with its pinball offense and national championship aspirations, due up a week from Saturday in Strawberry Canyon.

With each successive loss by the Bears, speculation increases as to the status of coach Jeff Tedford, who is 23-25 since the start of the 2009 season.

"The state of the program is fine," he said. "We had a bad year. We need to do some things better, continue to recruit. We have a good group of guys here. I'm very committed to this program and making sure we get back to where we need to be."

The loss to the Huskies guaranteed that with seven defeats this season, Cal will not be going to a bowl game for the second time in three years after playing in the postseason seven straight years from 2003-09.

"The bowl game situation is obviously disappointing," Tedford said. "It's not something we're used to. You work very hard in this. The players invest a lot of time. It's not a good feeling. You like to see them rewarded."

The Bears forged a 13-7 lead with 3:59 to go in the third quarter of a game rife with turnovers by both teams, eight in all, on the second of Vincenzo D'Amato's two field goals in the quarter.

But two touchdowns by the Huskies the rest of the way gave them just enough to escape this mistake-filled game with the victory and improve to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in conference.

Following that, Zach Maynard threw a ghastly interception that safety Shaq Thompson - who at one point had pledged his commitment to come to Cal before signing with Washington - returned 33 yards to the Cal 28.

The Huskies needed just four plays to get into the end zone (on Bishop Sankey's 1-yard run) to take a 21-13 lead.

On Cal's first play following the TD, Maynard injured his left knee on a 1-yard run with 4:01 left. There was no word on his condition after the game other than he will have an MRI scan to assess the damage.

Cal advanced the ball to the 25, but four straight incomplete passes by Bridgford, the last on 4th-and-5 with 1:08 to go, sent 42,000 fans home on a chilly night.

Despite missing several defensive starters and playing others who were banged up, the Bears put forth a commendable effort in forcing four Washington turnovers and stopping the Huskies twice on 4th-and-1 plays.

Inside linebacker Nick Forbes had an interception and recovered two fumbles to go with 11 tackles. Outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett played with a broken hand and had five tackles, two for losses. Linebacker Chris McCain, playing on a bum ankle, sacked Price for a 17-yard loss.

"A defensive performance such as that, that's the kind of game you expect to play," Forbes said. "Any loss is a hard loss. You don't play the game to lose. ... It's a blessing to play this game on this level. That's what you've got to take away from this."

Briefly: Defensive lineman Keni Kafusi broke his kneecap in the second quarter and is done for the season. ... An ankle injury prevented freshman wide receiver Bryce Treggs from playing. ... Nose guard Kendrick Payne had surgery on a finger during the week and did not play.